Wednesday, March 08, 2017

I am obsessed with horror movies and crocheting. So, how does one meld those two interests together? By crocheting hatchets my dear viewers!

This is the fourth release in a series of patterns I am calling Dangerous Implements. The pattern utilizes size 10 crochet thread and a 1.5 mm hook. Now, as with all of my thread based patterns, sizing up is not a problem. Just use heavier weight yarn and a corresponding hook that will give you a fairly tight fabric. Your hatchet will be gigantic, but hey, I'm not going to judge you for wanting to crochet a larger than life hatchet!

Directions use US crochet terminology and abbreviations and are appropriate for an experienced beginner and beyond.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Hey guys, I have just released the third pattern in my Dangerous Implements series...The Chef Knife! The pattern for this lovely life-size blade can be found in both my Etsy and Ravelry stores. If you are into crocheted cutlery then this pattern will be right up your cutting board!

Saturday, February 11, 2017

I am obsessed with horror movies and crocheting. So, how does one meld those two interests together? By crocheting machetes my dear viewers!

This is the second release in a series of patterns I am calling Dangerous Implements. The pattern utilizes size 10 crochet thread and a 1.5 mm hook. Now, as with all of my thread based patterns, sizing up is not a problem. Just use heavier weight yarn and a corresponding hook that will give you a fairly tight fabric. Your machete will be truly gigantic, but hey, I’m not going to judge you for wanting to crochet a larger than life machete!

Directions use US crochet terminology and abbreviations and are appropriate for an experienced beginner and beyond.

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Well as most of you know I am obsessed with horror movies, Halloween AND of course, crocheting. So, how does one meld those seemingly disparate interests together? By crocheting cleavers of course!

This pattern is the first in a series of patterns that I am calling Dangerous Implements. The pattern utilizes size 10 crochet thread, Knit Picks Curio, and a 1.5 mm steel hook. Now, as with all of my thread based patterns, sizing up is not a problem if you are afraid of thread (no judgment here as fear of thread is not unusual). Just use a heavier weight yarn and corresponding hook that will allow you to create a fairly tight fabric. Your cleaver will be gigantic, but hey, if you are into larger than life cleavers, then you are probably someone I want to hang out with. Hah!

Anyhoo, directions use US crochet terminology and abbreviations AND they are appropriate for an experienced beginner.

So, show your love for horror movies, decorate your Halloween tree with cleaver ornaments or just let everyone know that you are an amazing cook that likes to chop stuff up by crocheting cleavers!

Friday, March 13, 2015

This lovely life-size slice of pepperoni pizza is crocheted using size 10 thread and a 1.65mm steel hook. It's got a puffy crust that lines the entire back side of the slice, just like real life. I have also included an applique version of this slice of pizza heaven in the pattern so that you can whip up slices to sew onto your favorite tote bag or jacket. I made one for my jean jacket and it looks splendid if I do say so myself.

Thread not your thing? Not to worry, this pattern also works wonderfully in yarn of any weight. I made a worsted weight version for my niece. She LOVES her big ole piece of pizza!

You can purchase this pattern from my Ravelry or Etsy stores. Come on, you know you want to make tons of pizza slices for everyone you know! They will be forever thankful.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Wanna crochet an avocado? Well, now you can! Just pick up my latest pattern from Ravelry or Etsy and you can crochet avocados to heart's content. Make 'em into brooches, magnets, Christmas tree ornaments! Hang them from the walls of your kitchen, applique them onto tote bags, crochet them together into a nifty hostess apron! The sky's the limit with regard to crocheted avocado uses!

I actually made one of these into a brooch. It's definitely a conversation piece!

So, go ahead and get your hooks moving on some California green goodness. Oh, and the pit is 3D! If that's not a selling point, I don't know what is.

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

First and foremost, I'd like to say thank you to the bottom of my fuzzy soul to Paradise Fibers for gifting me this lovely swift and hanks of Cascade!

It was so thoughtful and made for a real "pick me up" after the end of a long day at the cube farm. Paradise Fibers is a great online resource for anything fiber related. I actually purchased my first spinning wheel from them years ago and it's still my go-to wheel for everything from spinning singles to plying. Love Paradise Fibers! Thank you!

Secondly, I have another free pattern for you. Sunflower motifs!

I have been working up sunflowers for months in various yarn weights, from thread on my little steel hook to worsted on a good old US G hook. Finally, I feel like the motif is ready for the real world after a gazillion pattern tests. I mostly tested it as a join as you go motif, but I also repurposed it as an applique as well.

Monday, March 31, 2014

Nothing like a sea turtle appliques to brighten your summer wardrobe and accessories! This pattern is not only fun, but it's challenging too due to the fact that the turtle is made up of components. You just crochet a bunch of parts and then cobble those together to make a turtle. It's a fun little puzzle. And don't worry, I put schematics in the pattern so you won't get lost, turtle parts scattered about the room. That would be terrible, but it just won't happen because I have left a clear trail marked by green scaly breadcrumbs!

The turtle above is a thread version, but the pattern works just as well with any yarn weight and corresponding hook. I made a few DK weight versions that look cool too...just bigger. The little dude above is about 9 x 9".

So, if you're interested in turtling up your life you can obtain the pattern from my Ravelry store. Happy crocheting!

Tuesday, March 04, 2014

This sporty duffel pattern can be found in the latest issue of Crochet Today magazine. It's a fun crochet, works up fast and has a surface pattern to keep your interest peaked as you work. Go get your copy today!

Tuesday, January 07, 2014

I thought it might be nice to infuse the cold vortex that is blanketing a good portion of the US with a dash of warm color...

This shawl was definitely inspired by Sarah London's Hawaiian Flowers motif pattern. I love her use of color and well, who doesn't love a good motif pattern? What I didn't love so much about Sarah's motif was the number of petals (her motif sports four petals). So, using Sarah's basic idea, I added a petal per motif and voila! The Mexican Flower Shawl was born! Um, err, crocheted!

The shawl was crocheted using Knit Picks Brava Worsted. This has become my go-to worsted yarn for working out designs. It is not expensive, washes nicely and comes in a variety of beautiful colors.

Check out the little star motifs in between the flower motifs. After a few versions, I finally settled on the stars pictured above.

The poinsettia motifs range in size from small to large and are crocheted using a combination of traditional and Tunisian crochet techniques. The shawl above is composed of medium size motifs.

The apron and oven mitts above would make a lovely gift for the holiday hostess in your life! Both mitts and apron are an easy weekend crochet.

Finally, dress your table with a festive table runner made from one large and two medium motifs.

The motifs in the book are really versatile and can be used in a multitude of projects outside of the ones detailed in the book. Think holiday afghan, a funky holiday vest that would put any holiday sweater to shame or appliques for holiday napkins or guest towels (thinner yarn or thread would have to be used to create motifs for this purpose). Literally, the sky's the limit!

So, are you ready to get hooked on poinsettias? If so, you can obtain your own copy of Poinsettia Proliferation! in my Ravelry or Etsy stores.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

One of my all time favorite type of hats is the beret. At this point, I've made more than my share. The one pictured below was thrown together with scrap yarn, while watching a 2012 documentary on Bob Marley.

I totally free-formed the entire thing in a few hours.

It was an enjoyable crochet AND a stash-buster to boot!

Now I have something to pull about my ears when sitting around the campfire next week in Yosemite! Okay, I have lots of hats to choose from for this purpose, but I am definitely bringing this one with me anyway.

Thursday, August 08, 2013

I love small loom weaving. Weaving on a small frame loom is portable, allows me to use up small amounts of leftover yarn and it gives my wrists and fingers a much needed break from crocheting and knitting. As such, here's my latest small loom FO...the Star Shawl!

I love my Hazel Rose Diamond Looms. You've seen my diamond loom shawls before and I've got a diamond shawl schematic that seems to work for me, but this time I decided to vary it up a bit. I am a big fan of this shawl on the "Knitting in Tuscany" book cover by one of my fave designers, Nicki Epstein. So, I figured why not try a star shape with woven components! Using my 3.5" loom, I wove 8 diamonds and arranged them into an 8 pointed star. Beautiful. Now repeat (and repeat again)! I used lots of my own homespun as well as some commercial yarn scraps on the individual diamonds.

I also wove a few squares and triangles to fill in the open spaces between the stars. All in all, I am pretty happy with the results.

Oh, and even more exciting that this FO is the fact that my loving boyfriend and very talented photographer, Steve, has been elected the Head of Photography at Monster Crochet. And thank god for this! His photos are heads and tails above my own. In addition, the lovely lady in the photos above? Yes, that is Heather. Hi, Heather! She will be modeling a lot of my wearables now. Another thanks be to god for this development. Yay! Thank you both for helping me!!

I have made a lot of major life changes recently (new job after nearly 13 years at the old job AND new large loft/studio living space after a handful of years of residing in a space the size of most people's closets) that pretty much put my ability to design stuff for publication on the back burner. However, having settled a bit, I am now back in the game, but with a different focus. Sure, I will still be doing a bit of work for books and magazines, but mainly I am trying to concentrate on creating designs that really make me happy and keep me interested in designing in general. Over the years, I've felt less enthusiastic about designing and I think that this due to the fact that I accepted commissions that I really should have passed on. I really love crocheting, knitting, spinning and weaving. I mean LOVE. As such, I want the things that I design to reflect this depth of feeling first and foremost. In addition, I have the added complexity of being a single mom and the sole breadwinner for my twosome. So, because of these two factors, primarily, I've decided to just focus on having fun when designing and not worry about making a living from it. The moral of this long-winded treatise is that you all should expect to see some wackier creations coming from this blog again. Okay, my stuff may not appeal to the masses, but it definitely has it's place in the pantheon of crochetdom/yarndom and that's the way I like it!

Thanks for hanging in there with me, peeps. You all have made this whole crochet blog journey worth the effort! xoxo ~ LL

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Everyone likes to sport a bit of fun atop their heads during the summer months, whether at the beach or just running errands about town. So, I figured I'd get my fingers working on a quick crochet that looks great under the summer sun...

Yes, that would be a lovely green fedora, crocheted from raffia ribbon, with a stylish white daisy adhered to its side. Literally peeps, I made this hat in one evening. That being said, I need to make another one in navy, one in natural and oh, maybe one in a lovely shade of coral. Ooooh, and one in turquoise! The raffia color selection is vast...Must. Take. Advantage.

You too can take advantage and make your own pile o'fedoras. Just download ye olde pattern link here. Happy summer crocheting kids!

Thursday, June 13, 2013

I was showing my mom how to dye fabric (silk to be specific) last weekend. We dabbled in a range of techniques including painting, dipping, dripping and some good old fashioned kettle dyeing. I even tested my hand at dyeing silk ribbon! So much fun!

I purchase my nekked silk (in scarf and ribbon form) and acid dyes from Dharma Trading Company (which has been one of my favorite supply sources since college...uh, a long time). I'm really loving the ribbon. I will definitely be dyeing more of that for weaving, knitting and crocheting projects. Fun!

Monday, June 03, 2013

I know what you’re thinking…she reappears and then
disappears again! Well, I do have good reasons for my latest absence. Firstly,
Steve and I moved from our Westside apartment to a loft in Downtown LA. This
was a huge adjustment, but I’m happy to report a positive and much needed
change. In addition, virtually simultaneous to the move, I decided to take a
new position at another firm after almost 13 years of working for the same
company. Talk about turning one’s environment on its head! Okay, so the
transition(s) was a bit trying, but I’ve come through all the change no worse
for the wear. New job at a place that doesn’t really rank on the drama meter
and a spectacular new space in which to live and work my creative fingers to
the bone, a winning combo to be sure!

Studio stuff organized and easily accessible, I have begun
working (needleworking that is) again. As such, what does one need when moving into
a place with lots of wooden floor space? Rugs of course! So, I made one...

Sure, I could buy a rug or two (and I have), but I thought
it would be really fun to carpet my naked floors with floor coverings made by my own hands.

As I already have several wool rugs, I wasn’t necessarily
interested in making more woolen floor goodies. Nonetheless, I knew that I wanted
my floor art to be fun, colorful, relatively lightweight and able to stand up
to foot traffic. Enter, synthetic raffia…

This stuff comes in a wide variety of colors, can be spot
cleaned with water and a gentle detergent, takes the heat of an iron with no
problem and will withstand a plethora of feet atop its worked surface. Oh, and
it’s pretty nice to work with too!

Obviously, I’ll have to do a bit more experimenting, but so
far I’m pretty happy with my raffia floor grannies...